Solvent-Mediated Iodine Intercalation of a High-Tc Oxide Superconductor Bi2Sn1.8Ca1.2CU2Ox

The benzene-mediated iodine intercalation into the pseudo-layered superconductor Bi₂Sr_1.8Ca_1.2Cu₂O_x (2212) is an efficient way to prepare an intercalate with nominal composition IBi₂Sr_1.8Ca_1.2 Cu ₂O_x. Expansion by 22 percent along the crystallographic c-axis was observed but both a-and b-axes of the intercalates remained unchanged. The superconducting temperature (T_c) of 2212 phase decreased 10 K upon iodine intercalation. We report the First solvent-mediated intercalation reaction and preliminary characterizations of a presumably stage-1 phase IBi₂Sr_1.8Ca_1.2Cu₂O_x.